विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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compared to it. This was the fish which had swallowed the
diamond. Having admired it for some time, he deposited
it, with the others, in two baskets, which he slung across
his shoulder, and in this way he went home. He gave
the finest fish to his wife, to be dressed for his dinner,
asking her to have it ready by the time he returned from
the market. The fisherman's wife, on opening the belly of
the fish, found therein the rich diamond, set in gold. Its
brightness dazzled her eyes, and shone through every crevice
in the humble dwelling. The woman had had some ex-
perience in things of this sort, she therefore wrapped up the
jewel in a piece of cloth the instant she found it, lest some
one should see it and deprive her of the treasure. She was
quite elated with the prize; and, as she hastily set about
preparing her husband's dinner, she felt impatient to impart
the joyful tidings to him. When the fisherman returned
from the market, his wife placed his meal before him, and
being hungry, not having had a good dinner for the previous
four or five days, he fell to heartily. When he had ap-
peased his hunger, his wife told him of the diamond she
had found, and he desired her to produce it. As soon as
he saw it, he was struck with amazement at its brilliancy
and evident value, and could not help giving utterance to
an exclamation of joy at the sight of the unexpected wealth
before him, which would render him rich and independent
for the remainder of his life. He knew pretty well the
value of the diamond, and he cautioned his wife not to tell
any one of their good luck. 'God has so bountifully
provided for us,' said he, 'in consideration, doubtless, of
the continued distresses to which we have been subject.' He
told his wife he would take the diamond to the king of the
city, who, being a worthy and good man, would no doubt
reward him liberally. Accordingly, having clad himself in
mean apparel, he placed the diamond in a common plate,
and took it to the palace, where, on presenting himself, he
was asked by one of the attendants what he wanted. He
said he had brought a certain article for his majesty, and

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begged to be allowed an interview. The attendant reported
the matter to the king, who was pleased to grant the request
of the poor fisherman. The attendant led the way into an
inner apartment, and he followed. Being come before the
king, the fisherman respectfully saluted his majesty, who
asked him what he had brought. 'May it please your
majesty,' said the wily fisherman, 'I am an inhabitant of
this city, where, by severe losses and misfortunes, I have
been reduced to the greatest straits. I have been compelled
to part with every valuable article that was bequeathed to
me by my ancestors, to provide food for myself and family.
This diamond (at the same time presenting the plate to his
majesty) is all I have now left. I thought it best to show
it to your majesty before I offered it for sale elsewhere.'
The diamond was one of a rare kind and of great size: it
shone like a bright meteor, dazzling all who beheld it. The
king was himself no less surprised than the rest. After
admiring it for awhile, he took it in his hand, and, in a
transport of joy, exclaimed, 'You a poor man!—even I, who
am a king, and the possessor of many jewels, have never yet
seen a stone of such beauty and dazzling brightness.'
The king sent for his jewellers to value it, and they too were
amazed at the beauty and size of the precious stone. After
turning it over and examining it for a long time, they pro-
nounced the diamond invaluable. The king immediately
ordered his treasurer to give the owner of the diamond as
much money as he should require, and to preserve the
stone in his royal treasury; in short, he became the pur-
chaser.
“As the king handed it to the treasurer, he observed that
the stone was set in gold, and had evidently formed part of a
lady's neck ornament. He concluded, too, that the person
who had worn it must have been a creature of rare perfec-
tion and beauty. This idea worked in his mind to such a
degree, that he called his prime minister, and made him
acquainted with the fact of his being desperately enamoured
of this unknown lady; ordering him, at the same time, to

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procure this Pudmini* for him. The minister was
astounded at this unreasonable demand; his duty, however,
was to obey; so he despatched couriers in different direc-
tions, to seek for information, with instructions that if they
found a person answering the description given them, to
bring her without delay to court. The minister himself
proceeded to an island called Jumboo-Dweep,† where a
woman was said to have been seen of such beauty and
qualifications as to entitle her to the designation of Pud-
mini,—at least so the minister was informed. He searched
for her, however, in vain. After his fruitless search he
returned to the city, as did also the couriers from the other
quarters. The king was much grieved to learn the unsuc-
cessful termination of his minister’s journey, which only
added to his passion, instead of in any way tending to lessen
it. His malady increased to such an extent that he
abstained almost altogether from food and rest. The minis-
ter was the only person who during this period conducted
the business of the state; and though he was just and
forbearing, yet the people began to show signs of dissatis-
faction at the continued absence of the king for no other
reason than that he was indulging in a morbid passion for
an unknown person.
“Things were in this state when a widow named Sham-
bae, who was cook to the royal household, hearing of his
majesty’s indisposition, presented herself before him, saying,
‘May it please your majesty, I think I can find a way to
cure you, if you will let me know the cause of your indis-
position,—how your majesty has become so stricken, and
what has made this strong impression upon you.’ The
king gave her a particular account of all that had occurred
to him relative to the diamond he had purchased a short
time ago from, as he thought, a citizen in reduced circum-

• The first of the four classes into which women are said to be
  divided.
  † The central division of the world; according to some, India.
  V

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stances. The widow possessed a depth of knowledge and
cunning worthy of a statesman, and though she was struck
dumb with surprise for awhile at the monarch's whim, she
requested him to point out the individual from whom he
had purchased the diamond, saying that she would try to
bring about the wishes of the king. The fisherman was
immediately brought before Shambae, who ordered him on
pain of death to inform her truly from whence he had pro-
cured the diamond. He replied, with much trepidation,
that if she would be pleased first to assure him of his
majesty's pardon for the deception he had practised, he
would reveal the truth. ‘Well,’ replied Shambae, ‘I will
secure for you his majesty's pardon, be the circumstances
what they may. Speak fearlessly.’ The fisherman then
told her his adventure, exactly as it had occurred, and what
his profession really was, renewing at the conclusion his
solicitation for the king's clemency. Shambae made him
wait until she returned from the king, to whom she hastened,
and represented the case, saying that the person whom his
majesty had taken for an impoverished citizen was a fisher-
man, and assuring his majesty that he need not be under
any apprehension, for that, if he would rely on her, and
have patience for a few days, she would, by employing her
utmost zeal in his service, afford him the pleasure, and that
very soon, of possessing the object of his love and admira-
tion. She then set out, accompanied by the fisherman, in
search of the place where the fish containing the diamond
had been caught. The fisherman guided her to the spot :
it was a beautiful and charming locality, and the pellucid
stream flowing tranquilly along added to the charms of the
scene. Shambae bade the fisherman leave her, after he
had shown her the exact spot, and while revolving in her
mind what plan to adopt, she happened to cast her eye on
the traces of footsteps on the pathway along which Prince
Sewdass and the lady of the cave had but a short time before
walked. She followed up these footmarks until she came
to the entrance of the cave, which was not very far from

163
the river. Shambae entered, with great hesitation, and was
surprised to find herself in a most delightful and spacious
hall. She advanced a little further, and beheld the beauti-
ful Moheeny seated on a couch, with the prince reclining
negligently by her side. Shambae stood rooted to the
spot, as if spell-bound at so much beauty and perfection.
She dared not and could not advance further, so she made
signs to Moheeny to approach. Moheeny was astonished
also, but her astonishment arose from a different cause to
that of the intruder : she thought only of the audacity of
the woman in venturing at once into the cave, without leave
or warning. Then again she thought it might be some
unfortunate woman who had been bereft of all she possessed
by some of the prowlers of the forest, and who now sought
her help and protection. As this idea crossed her mind,
she rose from her seat and approached the widow, saying,
‘Well, what is your business in this place?’ Shambae
threw herself at the feet of the beauteous lady, and, in the
most piteous and mournful tone, replied, ‘Have pity, oh,
lady!—my good angel, and goddess of beauty! I am a
poor helpless widow: God has left me neither son nor
daughter to be the prop of my old age, which is the cause
of my having determined on seeking for death in this wild
and desolate place, and thus find relief from the cruel grief
which now rends my heart! I thought and believed I
should meet with no human being here, but God has provi-
dentially directed me to this secluded dwelling. I am glad
indeed that I should have the good fortune to come into the
presence of so noble and handsome a lady. I humbly ask
you to keep me in your service. I can cook well, and
perform every domestic duty.’ During this address Sham-
bae made a great show of grief, and shed an abundance of
tears. All this seemed very extraordinary to Moheeny,
though she pitied greatly the distressed object before her.
She told her, however, that the prince her husband was
then asleep, but as soon as he awoke she would ask his
permission to keep her in her service. The prince awoke

164
shortly after, and Moheeny then begged him to consent to
her employing the widow, who seemed altogether destitute.
‘Consider,’ replied the prince, ‘we are quite happy in our
secluded home. This woman may perhaps have come here
with no good intention ; if so, we shall have to regret what
you now propose doing,—it may be productive of injury to
us. People are not all so virtuous and good as they them-
selves would fain appear, and therefore cannot always be
expected to speak the truth. We are here living in
content and happiness, and I see no necessity for, this
woman’s being retained in our service. Take my advice,—
do not engage her. If you do, I feel a presentiment that
some harm will befal us, which may not then be remedi-
able.’ The princess, nevertheless, was so urgent in her
entreaties that the prince was compelled to yield, though
much against his will, and the widow’s services were retained.
Shambae was questioned as to her knowledge of cooking,
and other domestic work, and her answers were satisfactory.
On discovering the aversion of the prince to her, the widow
conceived a great and bitter hatred against him, which,
however, she concealed in such a manner that it was not
discovered until too late.
“ One whole month rolled away without anything
unusual occurring to disturb the tranquillity of that peace-
ful home. During this time Shambae diverted her new
mistress with interesting tales and witty anecdotes. In
‘this way she so ingratiated herself into her favor, that the
indiscreet but candid Moheeny related to her the little
history of her meeting with the prince, and of the extent and
sincerity of their love. This was what Shambae longed to
know, and she now found how she could most easily and
effectually injure the prince. Shambae had, previous to
her departure from the palace, procured some poisonous
ingredients of great strength, and she was not long in finding
an opportunity to execute her vile and atrocious purpose.
She one day poisoned the prince’s food, and, owing to the
peculiar flavour of the ingredient used, which, as a matter

165
of course, was imparted to the food with which it was mixed,
the prince partook of his dinner with more than his usual
appetite; but, strange to say, it had no effect beyond that
of intoxicating him. Now, the prince’s Gooru had instruct-
ed him how, by holding the little sword which had been
given him in a peculiar manner, and by pronouncing certain
mystical words, to counteract the effect of any injury which
might be attempted against him. Finding himself, there-
fore, unusually affected in the head, he had recourse to the
sword, and became in a moment perfectly restored. The
widow, who had calculated upon the death of the prince,
was not a little surprised to find him alive and in his usual
health, after the time allowed for the operation of the drug
she had given him had elapsed. She was lost in astonished
conjecture, and could not understand how the prince had
escaped the effect of the potent poison.
“ Baulked in this her first attempt, Shambae redoubled
her efforts to remove the object of her hatred, who was also
the only obstacle to the success of her great project. She
had another plan in her head, and she proceeded to carry
it out. One day, being alone with Moheeny, she addressed
her thus :—‘ I have something to communicate to you,
good lady, which it concerns you much to know, and is of
the utmost importance to you.’ The princess asked her,
with a smile, what it was. ‘ It is this, dear lady,’ said she ;
‘ you fancy, do you not, that your husband loves you with
as much sincerity.and truth as you love him ?’ The happy
Moheeny replied, ‘ Yes; what doubt can there be of it?
He loves me. tenderly, and gives me every day fresh proofs
of his regard.’ ‘ I don’t, however, believe it,’ said the
wily Shambae ; ‘ you know—or if you do not, you ought
to—that men are generally more faithless and hard-hearted
than those of our sex. I thereforo advise you to try his
love. If you think he is not jealous and suspicious of you,
ask him to-night, when you find him in good humour, this
question, ridiculous though it may seem, and you will soon
be undeceived,—“ Pray, when and how will you die ?”

166
If he tells you that he loves you with all his soul, you may
be assured he is not to be believed ; the true sign of affec-
tion is when the wife can without hesitation say whether or
not her husband's love is exclusively hers. I hope you wilt
obtain an answer on this subject from the prince, and that
it may not be accompanied by some unfeeling threat.'
Moheeny asked Shambae how she could propose that such
a ridiculous and unfeeling question should be put to the
prince. 'I know,' continued she, 'that my husband will
not refuse to reveal any secret to me, if I request him to
do so. No ; I am sure he will tell me without a moment's
hesitation.' Shambae, after this conversation, busied
herself with her usual occupation, and set about preparing
the evening meal. When it was ready, Moheeny and the
prince partook of it, after which they retired for the night.
"Shortly after their retirement, Moheeny, addressing
the prince, said, 'Dear Sewdass, I have a request to make
of you, and I conjure you to answer me. If you have the
same love for me as I have for you, you will not hesitate to
comply with my desire. You are a prince by birth, and I
have been an eye-witness to your valour and bravery,
which——' Here the prince interrupted her before she
had time to finish the sentence, and said, 'Do not lengthen
your discourse, my love, but tell me at once what it is you
desire.' Moheeny eagerly said, 'I wish to be informed
what death you will die, and what circumstances will attend
your dissolution.' The prince heard her with feelings of
horror and disgust, and was enraged to such a degree that,
falling back in his bed against a cushion which supported
him, he addressed Moheeny in an indignant and scornful
tone. 'I all along thought,' said he, 'that you were a
woman of sense and discretion, but what you have now pre-
sumed to ask convinces me that I have been wrong in my
calculation of your worth and merit. Tell me, I beseech
you, what could have induced you to put such a question to
me ? You must be aware that such a proceeding on your
part can only tend to lessen my esteem for you. I advise

167
you from this day never again to allude to the subject, lest
I be tempted to punish you for it. I am not allowed by my
preceptor, on pain of death, to impart to any one the secret
you wish me to reveal.’ Moheeny was struck dumb at this
affronting answer. She experienced great difficulty in
appeasing the anger of her lord, which, however, she at last
in a great measure succeeded in effecting.
“In the morning, Moheeny told Shambae that her
husband had not deigned to reveal the secret to her, as he
could not do it without subjecting himself to certain death.
The widow replied, ‘Did not you, princess, boast to me of
your exclusive control over the prince?—that he loves you
as never man before loved, and that he would refuse you
nothing? It is therefore surprising to me that you did not
persist longer, in order to satisfy yourself on the subject I
alluded to. You see what hard-hearted creatures men are!
Notwithstanding all the prince’s professions of love for you,
no sooner do you ask him to satisfy your curiosity on one
little point than he scruples not to disappoint you. How-
ever, you are his wife, and ought certainly to know every-
thing that concerns him. You can persist in your request
until he relents, and, by setting before him the relation in
which you stand to him, bring him to a sense of what is
due to you in your position.’ She then ridiculed the idea
of the prince’s sudden death should he reveal the secret to
his wife; and wound up by pointing out the marked and
unfeeling manner in which he refused compliance with her
wishes. Moheeny was naturally of an easy and pliable
disposition, and her youth and inexperience rendered her
incapable of perceiving the drift of Shambae’s continued and
eager entreaties to obtain the desired information. ‘You
speak truly,’ said Moheeny; ‘I have an undoubted right to
be satisfied by my husband.’ So impressed was she with
the slight that had been put upon her by Prince Sewdass,
that she went into her room, and, having thrown aside her
ornaments, gave herself up to the indulgence of immoderate
grief, tearing out her beautiful and clustering hair by hand-

168
fuls in her rage. The prince, as was customary with him,
made his ablutions and performed his usual worship before
he sat down to his meal, but was astonished, after waiting
some time, that his consort did not make her appearance.
He enquired of Shambae where Moheeny was, and the
widow said she was in her bed-room, but that she did not
know what she was doing. The prince went hastily into
the room, and there saw his wife asleep, with her counte-
nance swollen with recent weeping and her hair dishevelled
and in disorder. He wondered at all this, and, after gazing
at her for awhile in bewilderment, he approached her and
roused her from her slumber. To his eager enquiries as
to what had occurred to disturb her so violently, she replied
that she was surprised he should take any interest in her
after what had passed between them the previous night.
‘By refusing to comply with a reasonable request on my
part,’ said she, ‘you have proved that you no longer deem
me worthy of sharing your confidence. Is that not a suffi-
cient cause to make me miserable for life?’ The prince was
much mortified and even enraged at this language from one
whom he had hitherto considered quite a pattern of obedience;
his love for her, however, got the better of him after a short
time, and he said, ‘If you are determined upon knowing
the secret, I will impart it to you; the consequence you
already know. Go and bathe, and after you have taken
your food and adorned your person, come to me.’ Moheeny,
hearing this, did all she was asked to do, and once more
regained her usual vivacity and good humour. At night,
when they retired to rest, she desired Sowdass to fulfil his
promise of that morning, as she was very impatient to
receive the desired information. The prince told her that,
from her importunity on the forbidden subject, he appre-
hended some calamity was about to befal them, but that as
she seemed resolved upon it, he could not in his heart refuse
her, though his revealing the secret would be at the risk of
his very existence, as he had already told her, ‘Look at
that sword,’ continued he, pointing to the one hanging in his

169
room; 'whenever that weapon is put into the fire and heated
until it is red-hot, that moment will be my last. This is
all I have been told by my preceptor. I hope you will, if you
value my life, bury this secret in your own bosom. It is
unseemly in a man and wife to allow anything to cause a
diminution of their regard for each other; and it is solely to
avoid such an evil that I have been induced to reveal the
secret of my death to you. Let me see that you prove
yourself, my dearest Moheeny, worthy of the great trust I
have now reposed in you.' Moheeny affectionately embraced
the prince, and then fell prostrate at his feet, imploring
heaven to preserve and prosper him, and to increase daily,
aye, even hourly, their mutual regard and affection for each
other.
"Moheeny was not a little surprised to hear the account
given her of the sword, and, as is usual with women gene-
rally, she thought of the necessity of having a confidante.
Shambae had so won upon the affection of the princess,
that the latter thought she might place implicit reliance
upon her; so she eagerly awaited the coming morning to
unburden her bosom of the weighty secret, which had
become so oppressive to her that she spent a restless night.
Accordingly, in the morning, Moheeny called the widow,
and informed her in an exulting manner that she had at
last persuaded her husband to tell her the secret of his
death, and she then proceeded to lay it all in detail before
the now overjoyed Shambae. 'Is this true?' asked the
latter. 'Yes,' replied Moheeny, 'he has actually told me
all that his tutor, the learned hermit, had foretold regarding
him; so that you see you were wrong in not believing him
to be sincere in his love for me.' The wicked Shambae
rejoiced at the favorable result of all the trouble she had
been at for king Kankameroo's sake, and she told Moheeny
that she was glad to hear her husband had given so great a
proof of his devotion to her. 'You are happy,' said she,
'superlatively happy; for what can give greater happiness
than the consciousness of being loved in an equal measure
W

170'

by the object dearest to us? Life without love would
become a loathsome burden.'
" Shambae allowed. three days to pass by without
attempting anything further, except that she asked the
princess, in a playful manner, to let her have a sight of
the wonderful sword which had been bestowed by the hermit
on her husband. 'It must be a miraculous one,' said she.
Moheeny was quite ignorant of the villany that lurked
under so much apparent regard and solicitude; she there-
fore did not hesitate to satisfy her in this particular, and,
with that view, conducted her to the inner room. Shambae
marked well the spot where it hung; and, to disarm suspi-
cion, again entered into an eulogistic dissertation on the
sincerity of the prince's attachment to his wife. The widow
determined in her own mind, however, that the prince should
die that night; so she made a fierce fire in the kitchen,
and, after they had all retired for the night, she went on
tip-toe into the room where the sword was suspended, and
stole away with it in her possession. She then hastened to
put it into the fire; and, as it became red-hot, the life of
Prince Sewdass gradually ebbed away, until at length he
expired!
" Next morning, when Moheeny awoke and arose from
her bed, she thought she noticed something unusual in the
appearance of her husband; she therefore tried to awaken
him, but what was her horror at finding that he was stiff
and lifeless! She instantly raised an alarm, and cried for
help. 'Oh, my dear and loving husband!' exclaimed she,
in an agony of grief, 'what is this that has happened to
you? Why lie you there so motionless and still?' She
then rushed from the apartment, calling wildly to Shambae
for assistance, like one suddenly bereft of her senses. The
suspicion of the widow's treachery now for the first time
crossed her mind, and on glancing at the place where the
sword usually hung, her fears were confirmed—it had
disappeared! She wept bitter tears of repentance—she
beat her breast, and tore her hair. 'Unhappy wretch that

171
I am!' cried she, 'where shall I look for protection now?—
oh, where shall I find peace? Could I but restore you,
my dearest husband, to life and consciousness, if but for a
moment, I would willingly forfeit mine own! Alas! this
would never have happened had I not compelled you to
comunicate the secret of your death! I am irrecoverably
undone!' While Moheeny was thus lamenting her cruel
loss, Shambae rushed into the room with outstretched
arms, feigning great distress, and exclaiming, 'My dear
lady!—my angelic mistress!—what is the matter? What
has happened to you?' 'Cruel woman!' replied Moheeny,
'Your are the cause of this mischief!—I know it but too
well! You have cruelly, heartlessly, deceived me! Your
barbarous advice has made me miserable for life, depriving
me of my dear and fondly-cherished husband! There was
not the slightest need for his communicating to me the
secret which you have, by your artful designs, wormed out
of him for my own and his ruin. His blood be upon your
head! He had expressly desired me not to admit you into
our service, but out of pity for you I prevailed on him to
consent to it; and this is what you have done in return for
so much kindness! Oh, inhuman wretch!—how could you
be so un

172

city hard by, where I will procure for you one of the hand-
somest and mightiest of the princes of the earth to supply
the place of him whose loss you now deplore. This king—
for he is the reigning monarch of the city in question—will
not, I am sure, give you the least cause of dissatisfaction :
he will bestow upon you his undivided affection, and share
all he has with you.' This speech so enraged Moheeny,
that she seized a large stone, and threw it with great force at
Shambae, who, however, by a timely motion of her head,
avoided the blow which had been aimed at her. Notwith-
standing this unmistakeable sign of Moheeny's disinclina-
tion to listen to the widow's proposal, the latter again
addressed her. 'You are a lovely being,' said she, 'and it
will never do for you to pine away in obscurity in this
desolate wilderness. Besides, some misfortune greater than
the present will probably befal you if you remain here, now
that your protector and husband is numbered with the dead,
nor can I stay with you any longer; so take my advice,
and follow me. Leave this dismal place, and let the recollec-
tion of the dead be buried with him. It is appointed that
every man should die once,—it is the road we must all go;
in a word, it is worse than useless to rush into extremes of
passion when by so doing we cannot remedy the evil.'
Shambae continued in this strain for some time, and at
length succeeded in making some impression on Moheeny,
who, on considering her isolated condition, and the impos-
sibility of remaining much longer in that dreary spot, in the
end consented to accompany the widow, and be guided in
her future proceedings by circumstances.
"There were now only seven days required for the expira-
tion of the period at the end of which Hurridass, the prince's
bosom-friend and companion, had promised to visit them.
Moheeny knew this, and she resolved upon keeping it closely
locked within her own bosom, lest the widow should find
means to deceive Hurridass and prevent his coming, so
much in dread of this woman did the unfortunate Moheeny
stand. Previous to their departure she went into her

173
husband's room, and wept over his remains; she then
covered them with a large winding-sheet, upon which she
placed two of the jewels of her neck ornament, exposed
openly to view, for the information of Hurridass, should he
arrive in fulfilment of his promise. After this, with a heavy
heart, she bade Shambae take her where she pleased.
Moheeny plucked off two other jewels on her way out, and
placed them in the middle of the entrance to the cave; and
all along her journey she managed, .unperceived by her
companion, to drop a jewel here and there, at short dis-
tances, by which their track might be preserved, should
Hurridass feel disposed to follow her.

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CHAPTER XI.
Veytal concludes the history, and disappears.
"THE Princess Moheeny and the widow Shambae pro-
ceeded on their way together, as we have seen, and within
a few days arrived within the dominions of king Kankame-
roo, by whom the princess was so loved, though he had
never seen her. Shambae immediately sent forward a
messenger to his majesty, informing him of the successful
termination of her mission, and that she was even then
conducting the object of his passion towards his capital.
The messenger appeared before the monarch with as little
delay as possible, and the king was thrown into a transport
of joy on receiving the glad tidings. He ordered that two
palanquins, several female attendants, and a proper suite,
should be sent out to meet Moheeny, accompanied also by
a large number of musicians and all the other necessary
appendages to the train of a lady of rank and station.
Shortly after, Moheeny and Shambae were conducted to the
palace in great state, and the people flocked in from all
quarters to catch a glimpse of the beautiful lady that was
brought for the king. They all with one accord gave their
opinion that she was a person of incomparable beauty and
figure, and that there was not one in the whole kingdom
who could be compared to her. Moheeny was directed to
take possession of one of the best sets of apartments in the
palace, which was assigned to her by the king's express
command.
"The monarch found in Moheeny all that the most vivid
imagination could have painted, and he was for awhile
almost beside himself with joy at the contemplation of her
dazzling beauty. He was so transported with extacy that
he addressed her thus:—'My goddess! my charmer!—

175
whence came you ? I never before felt for the handsomest
among women what I now feel for you ! From the day on
which I became possessed of the rich diamond, I have been
like one in a trance, and your lovely presence restores me
to life, love, and happiness !' Then, turning to Shambae,
who stood by, he said, ' My good woman, you have placed
me under a deep debt of gratitude : but for you I should
ere this have been numbered with the dead. I give you
credit for the greatest tact and ability, and you shall hence-
forth have charge of all my queens. I thank you sincerely
for all you have done : you have acted the part of a
great and skilful physician, and have cured me of my
malady. You may rest assured you shall not go unre-
warded.' The king continued praising this woman exces-
sively, adding at last that she even surpassed his minister
in capacity and judgment ; and she was immediately made
matron and keeper of his queens' apartments.
“ At night, after supper, the king sent for Shambae, and
desired her to ask Moheeny whether she would allow him to
pass the night with her. The widow accordingly repaired
to Moheeny's room,.and begged her to grant his majesty's
request. Moheeny smiled, and said, ' I should have had
much pleasure in acknowledging my gratitude and esteem
for the king by obeying him at once, but that I have made
a vow to a certain deity, which precludes the possibility—
for the present, at least—of compliance. I have been very
fortunate in falling into such good hands. My vow was made
for the purpose of securing a good and happy position, when
the death of my husband left me without a friend or
protector. This I have now obtained, but I cannot on any
account agree to the king's proposal until after I shall have
fulfilled the vrut.* Only then can I venture to take part
in anything worldly. Permit me also,' continued Moheeny,
' to thank you for your share in what has resulted in
securing me so happy a condition. Your kindness I shall

• Consecration by vow.

. 176
never forget. You seem to have great influence with his
majesty : use it now in my behalf. All I want is nine
days for completing my vow. I also desire that his majesty
will be pleased to order the necessary preparations for the
occasion, and direct the chief priest of his household to
prepare for the vrut, in accordance with our law. Lose no
time, good mother, but go quickly and submit my requests
to his majesty, and intercede for me.' The deluded Sham-
bae returned to the king, and communicated to him all that
Moheeny had said ; at the same time she besought him to
have patience, and to grant Moheeny's request ; adding
that there was no fear of her escaping, as she was strictly
confined within his palace, and carefully watched. The
king unwillingly consented, and retired to sleep. Next
morning he directed a temporary shed to be erected, beau-
tifully and richly ornamented, and, having summoned the
priests and worshipped the deity, as was the custom, the
brahmins and other devout persons were sumptuously feasted
for the space of nine days. On the ninth day, towards the
close of the ceremony, Moheeny, according to the direction
of the chief priest, worshipped the deity, and then, clasping
her hands together, she addressed it thus :—‘ O goddess !
I know thee to be the principal maker of the universe ; the
hermits and sages are perpetually thinking of thee ;
Brahma* is unable to recount thy invisible power ! How
then can I, with my profane tongue, praise thee as I ought ?
People born blind are restored to sight if thou but lookest on
them ; the lame are made to walk, the idiot restored to
sense, and the dumb made to speak ! Thy compassion is
great beyond measure ! If thou pleasest thou canst imme-
diately change pebbles into precious stones ; therefore the
devotees engage in the profoundest and most abstract
contemplation of thee. Hermits are absorbed in the medita-
tion of thy goodness ; the pious and learned are continually

• The first of the Hindoo Triad, or the form of the deity as crea-
  tor of the universe.

177
praising thy endless power! O goddess! O deity! behold
my miserable condition, and listen to my invocation! Pity
me, and relieve me from the dreadful misfortune that, is now
impending over me!' As she was thus praying, a voice
was heard from the heavens, saying, 'Moheeny! fear not!
—your deliverance is at hand! Your beloved husband
and his friend will soon visit you!' On hearing these
words of consolation, the princess felt greatly reassured.
She prostrated herself before the deity in thanksgiving, after
which she arose, calm and collected.
"Let us return now to Hurridass, whom we left with the
hermit. He there mastered every mysterious art, and
became thoroughly conversant with the moral duty of man-
kind. One night he dreamed that his friend, Prince Sew-
dass, was in great danger, and expiring in the cavern where
he had left him in health and enjoyment. This occurred
on the very night during which Shambae was engaged in
prosecuting her base designs against the prince. He started
up in affright, and looked around him, feeling much inclined
to set out on the instant, but as the hour was late he
contented himself with awakening the hermit and telling
him his dream. The next morning, however, he requested
the hermit's leave to go and see his friend, whom he had
promised, he said, to visit in four months, and that period
had already expired. The hermit consented to his going,
and instructed him in a certain charm of resuscitation, at
the same time giving him a pair of clogs, telling him to put
them on his feet and then think of the place he wished to
reach, and he would be instantly transported there. Hurri-
dass, after prostrating himself before the hermit, and receiv-
ing his benediction, did as he was bid, and instantly, almost
within the twinkling of an eye, he found himself at the
cave. He was surprised to find that neither the prince nor
his consort was there to receive him, and he began to search
the different rooms. When he came to the bed-chamber,
he perceived some one lying on the bed: he approached,
and great was his horror, on opening the curtain and
X

178
removing the sheet, to find the prince stretched out life-
less! He was fully convinced that this misfortune had
been brought about by the sword, for which he searched in
the chamber and all over the place in vain. He thought
he should perhaps find it in the fire-place, and sure enough
it was there, plunged among the hot coals. He removed
it for the purpose of cooling it, after which he rubbed its
edge, and ran into the prince's apartment, taking a little
water in his palm. There he uttered some words, as he
had been instructed by the hermit, and sprinkled the water
on the body of the prince, who moved as if in sleep, and
then opened his eyes wide with astonishment at not finding
his wife there, instead of whom he saw his friend Hurridass.
Sewdass got up hastily, and they embraced each other in a
most affectionate manner. The prince had not been aware
of any design against his life, and therefore made no
allusion to it, but at once enquired into the state of his
friend's health. Hurridass, instead of satisfying him on this
head, informed the prince of the cause of his journey by
means of the clogs, and how he had brought him to life
again. It then occurred to the prince that all this must
have been the work of the widow, and he accordingly told
his friend all that he knew of the matter. Hurridass inter-
rupted him, and proposed they should both set about
searching for Moheeny at once, which they did. They
went into every room and place where there was any likeli-
hood of finding her, but it was all in vain, as Moheeny had
departed with the widow a few minutes before the arrival of
Hurridass. In this dilemma they found under the cot the
two jewels which Moheeny had placed on the sheet which
covered her husband's remains, and they recognised the
jewels as having formed part of her neck ornament. At last
they lighted upon the one she had left at the gateway; they
then re-entered the cavern and proceeded to examine the
valuables and treasures in the place, all of which they found
correct.
"The prince and Hurridass now made up their minds to